Module 9 Reflection: The Modern & Conservative 1920s

The 1920s were very progressive, this was the turning point for consumer culture. In my opinion, these were the years that households became a little less traditional. After reading the "The Consumer Economy and Mass Entertainment," I gained a lot of insight into how many things changed during that year alone. Henry Ford and Alfred Sloan revolutionized the way we do a lot of things. Ford had created the assemble line, cutting the down the 12 ½ hours it would originally take to build a car to just 1 ½ hours within two years. This allowed Ford to be able to offer an affordable car for families. 

On the other side of things, Sloan was out to make money, not just cars. He developed a series of automobile divisions which were differentiated by status, price, and level of luxury. This would allow Sloan to create the nation's first national consumer credit agency in 1919 to make his cars affordable.

With cars becoming the symbol of wealth, the number of cars on the road nearly multiplied by 5 from the years 1919 and 1929. Americans were encouraged to buy the car of their dreams on credit, meaning almost 60% of cars were bought on credit. Americans were paying interest rates of 30% or higher which obviously wasn't the smartest thing, but that's another story. Not everyone was a fan of automobiles though. Many churches saw a decrease in church attendance on Sundays due to families taking Sunday outings. Some people even believed automobiles would give teenagers too much freedom and privacy. 

Automobile production wasn't the only innovation that took place during the late 1920s. Ready to wear clothing became really big during this time as well, mainly because there were no patents on clothing back then which allowed Americans to take European designs and sell them at a lower price. Americans also began eating processed foods, homes were getting electricity, and with electricity came more household developments such as the washing machine, vacuum, telephones, and etc. This meant the cleaning standard for housewives kept rising. Innovative companies began advertising their products and ultimately we would see a decline in older industries like steel and railroads. 

In 1920 women gained their right to vote, but of course things were never as simple as they seemed. Women continued to struggle with gaining new opportunities in the workplace. Women were often given traditionally "female" occupations such as a nurse. Smoking cigarettes became popular amongst the female crowd when advertisers staged parades down New York's 5th Avenue, imitating the suffrage marches of the 1910s in which young women carried "torches of freedom" (cigarettes). I believe that this was mocking the women who marched during those years. 

While reading the "Race" article, I felt a ton of emotions. I thought it was good that it shed light on the events that happened in Tulsa because it's not something that I learned about until I was older. Even then I did not learn it in school or any textbook provided, but I learned it from social media. On the other hand I felt rage of course. The fact that we must rely on oral history is crazy. I still have trouble understanding how one race could have so much hatred towards another. After reading "The Great Migration," I felt empowered and relieved to read that African Americans began protesting and creating their own spaces. Things like the Harlem Renaissance was monumental because we were able to tell out own history and make our own space where everyone looked alike and could be their true authentic selfs. 

Tulsa Race Massacre: Black Wall Street

Bibliography:

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=2&psid=3384

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=2&psid=3385

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=2&psid=3396

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=2&psid=3400